Compressor



COMPRESSOR ,original Fi1ed Apri1 24, 1930 fsf:

Patented Feb. .7,l 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAWRENCE E. WARNER, y 0F QAXIiANfD, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB, BY. MESNE 352.116113-` HENTS, TO J. G. DE BEHEER RESEARCH CORPORATION., OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY,

.A vC:EPURATION 0F NEW ERSEY conransson Application med April $4, 193), Serial No. `446,889.v Renewed 'August 1988.

The invention relates to liquid piston-type pumps or compressors of the general order of that shown in J. G. De Remer Patent No. 1,873,175, the purpose being to improve the working efficiency of such compressors and their mechanical balance as well as to reduce the amount 'of piston liquid required.

The accompanying drawing will suflice to illustrate the principle of the invention, being in part elevational and part longitudinal section through the axis of the' pump or compressor body.

The casing of the pump proper, marked 1, is connected atV its top with two flexible connections, marked 2 and 3, which are respectively the intake and oftake tubes for t e fluid handled by the pump or compressor. They are formed as concentric spirals with their outer ends clamped in fixed suppprts, accordingYto the principle of De Remer atent No. 1,59` ,182, and they serve the double purpose of holding the'casin'g against rotation on its own axis while permitting it to revolve about a main axis and of providing jointless or packingless Vcommunications between the casing and another piece of apparatus which is fixed, such as evaporator and condenser coils of an expansion refrigeration system, not shown. The casing 1 is journalled at the points marked 4, in a jacket which is secured on or in a motor-driven friction wheel 6, journalled on a suitable base torotate on a vertical axis as indicated. As the wheel rotates on this vertical axis, herein referred to asv the main axis, the casing 11 is carried around by it and may be regarded as rotating relatively to it on its journals 4, although it is non-.rotary with reference to its tube connections as stated. The jacket 5 is a container fora body of lubricating oil which, under the centrifugal eect, is thrown to a position Where it submerges or touches the upper bearing 4 so that'both these bearings are lubricated for long periods without attention.

The mounting of the pump casing as above described constitutes part of the present invention in its preferred form and moreover is applicable to other types of. gyratory pump mechanism, but it is not indispensable to the broad rinciple of the present invention which 1s satisfied by any suitable means of revolving the pump casing and any suitable means of connection of the latter with the fixed apparatus which it serves, and as will presently be apparent. l

- The casing is madeup of assembled parts so designed and organized as to produce interior passageways which form a loo pathv or circuit for the piston liquid, an inta e pas-- sage for the fluid to be compressed connected with tube 2, and an olf-take for such Huid connected to tube 3. Such uid is normally a refrigerant vapor but the term is used hereinv to refer to any medium, fluid or liquid, of

'less specific gravity than the liquid used as the piston agency, which latter is preferably mercury. The mechanical construction of the casing will beclear without description. The piston liquid circuit just referred to includes, the chamber 7 at the lower end of the casing and which, according to this invention, is the low pressure chamber as presently pointed out, a helical passage 8 leading from such chamber to the annular chambery 9, which is the high pressure chamber, and a return leg or passage 1Q leading from the high pressure chamber back to the low pres- 'sure chamber and including a restriction 11, which delivers into an outward extension or well 12 of the low `pressure chamber, thus completing the circuit. The Huid to be compressed or pumped, as the case may be, enters from the intake tube 2 through the inner tube 13, through reservoir chamber 14, vhole 15 and fluid outlet 16, into the low pressure chamber 7. From lthence it passes with the mercury through the helical passage 8 to the highpre'ssure chamber 9, where it separates lor is released from the mercury and passes thence through the 'annular passage 17 to the off-take tube The casing is journalled in its revolving frame or support 5, so that the axis of the helical passage 8 is at an angle to the' main axis and so that by 4virtueof centrifugal force l,the mercury in the piston liquid circuit altively to the revolving casing and the direcv tion of pitch of the helical passage 8 is so mercury enters it and makes its upward pasf when its mouth is not submerged in the mer.

sage through the helix as a succession of 'separated masses or slugs, each constituting a piston and each separated from its predecessor by a portion of the fluid which always occupies the inward part of the low pressure chamber, and which fluid enters the helix cury. The actionv is continuous, forcing alternate bodies of fluid and mercury upwards and inwards into the high pressure chamber where the mercury immediately turns and falls or flows back through the return leg 10 of its circuit, also under centrifugal force, through the restriction 11 to the low pressure chamber. The lighter and now compressed' fluid, released from the mercury. passes off as stated under its own pressure through the annular off-take 17. The restriction 11 functions to maintain the pressure difference between the low and high pressure chamber, being predetermined in size and with relation to the normal or average speed of opera- ,tion so as to pass mercury only at that rate which is requisite to maintain an appropriate or the desired difference.'

It will be observed that the construction differs from the prior patent referred to above` in that the helix screws the mercury from an outward part of the piston circuit toward an inward part of such circuit, i. e. to a point nearer the main axis and that this motion takes place against centrifugal force,

instead of the reverse as in the patent, the low pressure chamber being now more remote from the main axis than the high pressure chamber. This reversal of helix action in conjunction with the choke or restriction 11 to maintain the pressure difference affords a substantial improvement in pumping or compressing elliciency and gives. particularly an ,increased delivery of gals or liquid at low discharge pressures. Because of such reversal,

the center of mass of the mercury while at work is also kept more nearly at a constant `radial distance from the main axis, so that a weight fixed on theLY revolving frame, as shown at 18 can form fan accurate counter-balance for it, thus reducing vibration when starting up and afterwards. whereas in the prior machine a co'nsiderablt; .part of the mercury occupied the high pressure chamber. in order to seal the gas escape. and the amount inthis chamber, and also the amount in the low pressure chamber, were subject to relative variation with corresponding variation of the center of mass of the mercury and consequent disturbance of balance when starting up and also under changing back pressures. With the new arrangement, also, the same work is accomplished with a less amount of mercury, since no particular amount is now required to remain in the high pressure chamber to act as a seal, which fact, in turn, permits a smaller size of counterweight, and the release of the gas from this smaller body of mercury in the high pressure chamber, avoids any entrainment with it of fine particles of mercury or mercury vapor.

While the detail construction ofthe casing and its interior passages are of no great consequence to the new principle of operation, and may be infinitely varied within the scope of the claims hereof,= it is preferred that it shall beso designed that the helix shall surround the return leg 10 as well as the entrance passage for the fluid and that the former shall be an annular passage concentric with and surrounding the latter and that the latter shall open into the low pressure chamber in a direction facing toward the main axis and in a position near the top of the well space 12, and further that such fluid entrance passage shall have an enlargement or chamber 14 within the casing. This enlar ement ser-ves first as a reservoir space for ceding fluid directly to the low `pressure chamber with least resistance and also as a storage space for the mercury when the machine is idle and the mercury flows up into it, seeking its'gravitational level, and still further this chamber acts as a spacer block determining the size and shape of the high pressure space around it and more particularly of the return leg of the piston circuit, whichis important because by having this passage annular'and shallow and-of conical shape as shown the mercury passing through it' is at all ltimes in a position very close tothe ascending slugs in the helical passage and hence close to the center of mercury mass, thereby maintaining a constant balance against the counterweight 18. It is further preferred that the restriction 11 for the piston liquid shall be as far as possible fromthe main axis and located in a well space, such as 12, and that the helical passage itself shall have a cross section, which diminishes in area as it approaches the high pressure chamber.

I claim:

1. A compressor or the like comprising in combination, a piston liquid circuit, a rotating member having a helical passage included in said circuit with its axis of rotation disposed at an angle to the axis of the helical passage, the direction of helical pitch acting to screw the piston liquid inwards or toward said axis of rotation, means for conducting fluid to the entrance to said helical passage,

`and means for conducting it away from the Lasagne exit of said helical passage..

2. Apparatus according to claim'l includ- "ing also a restriction to theli uid iow located in the return part of the liquid circuit.

' 5 v 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a restriction in the piston liquid circuit located therein at the most outward part of the return part of said circuit.

4. Apparatus accordin to claim 1 including'a well in the piston liquid circuit, a re-l striction in the circuit dehvering into such well by centrifugal eiect, said well and restriction being located near the outer part of said circuit. l5 5. A compressor according to claim 1, havingl a passage for conductlng fluid to the he 'x entrance, said passage extending through the helix and entering the piston liquid circuit through an outlet facing t0- ward said main axis.

" 6. A compressor according to claim 1, having the entrance passage for the fluid to be compressed extending axially through the helix, and having a point of connection with an outward part of the piston li uid circuit.

7. Acompressor according to c aim 1, having the iuid supply passage and the return leg of said piston liquid circuit both extended axially through the helix to the liquid en- 30 trance ormouth of the helical passage'.

Y 8. A compressor according to claim 1, having the return leg of said piston liquid eircuit located within the helix in a position close to the path of the piston liquld slugs being screwed through the helical passage.

9. A compressor according to claim 1, having the return leg of said piston liquid circuit concentric to said fluid entrance assage and to said helical axis, said return eg sur- 4' rounding said passage.

10; A compressor according to claim 1 having said helical passage extending from. an outward'low pressure chamber to an inward high pressure chamber of annular form and having said return leg of the piston liquid circuit of conical shape with its largest diameter connectingI with said high ressure.

chamber and its smaller end with p e other .5 In testimonyfwhereof, I havesigned this specification. 

